How Is the ACT Scored

How Is the ACT Scored SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips If you’re beginning to study for the ACT,you’re probably wondering how the ACT is scored. Understanding the ACT scoring system can give you a huge leg up as you set goals and make a study plan. Read on to learn how the ACT is scored, section by section, with official ACT scoring charts. We also include our five top strategies related to ACT scoring so you can use this information to your advantage. Overview of ACT Scoring So how is the ACT scored? The ACT has four sections, sometimes called subject areas: English, Math, Reading, and Science. Each subject area is given a scaled score between 1 and 36. Those area scores are then averaged into your composite score, which also ranges between 1 and 36. So where do those scaled scores come from? The scaled scores from 1 to 36 are converted from your raw scores on each of the subject areas. Your raw score is simply the total number of questions you answer correctly in each section. There is no point deduction for wrong answers on the ACT. How Are Raw ACT Scores Turned Into Scaled Scores? The first thing to understand about ACT scores is that the score you get for each subject area, between 1 and 36, is a scaled score. That scaled score is converted from your raw score. The reason the ACT (as well as other standardized tests) uses scaled scores is to make sure their scores are consistent across multiple test dates. In other words, they have to make sure a 28 on an April ACT represents the same level of skill as a 28 on a June ACT. Scaling is not curving your score relative to the scores of other students who take the test the same day as you.What scaling does is analyze average scores for each version of the ACT to ensureno test date is easier or harder than another. The ACT provides a table in their Preparing for the ACT guide that estimates how certain raw scores will translate into scaled scores on each section of the ACT. Via Preparing for the ACT. However, the process of scaling means that on different editions of the ACT, raw scores can translate to scaled scores differently. In other words, these numbers aren’t set in stone, but they can give you an idea of what raw score to shoot for on each section. How Is My Composite ACT Score Computed? To recap, we know that you get a score of between 1 and 36 for each subject area, which is converted from your raw score. But how do those four area scores combine to your final composite score? Your composite score is simply the average of your four area scores, rounded up to the nearest whole number (half a point or more is rounded up, less than half a point is rounded down). For example, say you got a 24 on the Math section, 23 on Science, 26 on Reading, and 25 on English. Your composite score would be: (24 + 23 + 26 + 25) / 4 = 24.5 This would be rounded up to 25. What Are the ACT Subscores? In addition to your main composite score and your four subject area scores, the ACT also gives you subscores in three of the four subject areas. English, Math, and Reading all have subscores, which give you more information about your strengths and weaknesses in each subject. Subscores range from 1 to 18, and they are also scaled from your raw score. However, there is no direct relationship between your subscores and your final scaled score (for example, your subscores do not add up to your scaled score). Your subscore just gives you more information about your performance and where you might want to improve. Should you worry about these? No. Colleges care most about your composite score on the ACT, and they will also look at your four subject area scores. However, you can use the ACT’s subscores to help you prepare for the test since they break the subject areas down into manageable categories. To help with that process, we are going to break down each section of the ACT. ACT Section Breakdown In this section, you will learn how many raw points are possible on each section of the ACT, what the subscores are, and how scores are calculated. English The English section of the ACT has 75 multiple-choice questions, meaning the highest raw score you can earn is 75. Remember that your raw score is just the total number of questions you answer correctly. Questions you leave blank or answer incorrectly are simply not added on to your raw score. The subscores on the English section are for Usage/Mechanics (40 questions) and Rhetorical Skills (35 questions). For more on what these questions are like, see our guide. To give a scoring example, say you answer 55 questions correctly on the English section, get 15 wrong, and leave 5 blank. Your raw score will be 55, the total amount of questions you got right. Using ACT’s table above, we can estimate that araw score of 55 would get a scaled score of 23. Mathematics The Math section of the ACT has 60 questions total, meaning the highest possible raw score is 60. The subscores are given for Pre-Algebra/Elementary Algebra (24 questions), Intermediate Algebra/Coordinate Geometry (18 questions) and Plane Geometry/Trigonometry-based problems (18 questions). For more on the Math section’s content, see our guide. Say you got 45 questions right, 12 wrong, and left 3 blank. Your raw score would be 45, which ACT estimates would scale to a 27. Reading The Reading section has 40 questions total, so your highest raw score here is 40. The subscores are given for Social Studies/Natural Sciences reading skills (20 questions) and for Arts/Literature reading skills (20 questions). For more detailed info on the reading section, see our guide to ACT Reading. Science The science section has 40 questions total, like the reading section, so the highest raw score here is 40. It is the only ACT section that does not have subscores, though it still has three distinct question types: data representation, research summaries, and conflicting viewpoints. For more on science section content, check out our guide. What If I Take the ACT Plus Writing? In addition to the four subject areas, it's also possible to take the ACT with an additional writing section. The writing section is not another multiple-choice section – it’s just the ACT with an essay added on. So how is the essay scored, and how will it affect your composite score?Your essay will be evaluated by two graders, who score your essay from 1-6 on each of four domains, leading to scores out of 12 for each domain. Your Writing score is calculated by averaging your four domain scores, leading to a total ACT Writing score from 2-12. Next, the ACT will combine your essay score with your English and Reading sections score and average them to give you an English/Language Arts subscore between 1 and 36. So does the writing score change your composite score? No. Your composite score is still just the average of the four multiple-choice sections. The essay gives more information about your writing skills, but does not affect your overall ACT score. So why take the ACT with Writing? Some colleges (especially top-tier ones) require the ACT be taken with Writing.If you’re not sure which version of the test to take, check the websites of the colleges you are interested in. They will list what standardized testing they require on their admissions checklists. If you took the ACT Plus Writing in or before June 2015, check out the table below to see how English test scaled scores are combined with the essay score for the overall writing subscore. Again, this is an estimate from an older edition of Preparing for the ACT, and the numbers could shift around slightly based on your test date. Via ACT.org How To Use This Information So now that you know how the ACT is scored, how can you use that info to get the biggest advantage on the test? Read on for our top five suggestions. #1: Hide a Weak Subject Since the ACT is averaged, not totaled, and there are four sections, you can "hide" a weak section more easily than on the SAT, which has three sections and totals your score. For example, say you struggle with math and got the following subject area scores on the ACT: Reading: 30 English: 29 Science: 31 Math: 22 While you might think your math score is going to drag down your composite, since it is only one-fourth of your score, its effect isn’t huge: (30 + 31 + 29 + 22) / 4 = 28 So even though your math score was a lot lower than the other three sections, you still come out with a 28 (which is, by the way, a 90th percentile score). While we are not recommending you don’t study for a certain section because it’s only one-fourth of your total ACT score, it is helpful to know that each subject area’s score will not make or break your composite. #2: Maximize Your Composite Score Since the composite is averaged, you should work to maximize your subject area scores that you are strong in as well as working to minimize weaknesses. Just focusing on trying to fix your weak spots could actually cause you to miss out on points. For example, say you have always excelled in English and history classes but struggle with math. You might think you should spend all of your ACT studying time drilling math problems. However, working to maximize your strengths – in this case reading and writing – could improve your score the most. Let’s take two scenarios. In the first, you spend all of your time studying for the math section and get the following scores: English: 28 Reading: 27 Math: 25 Science: 26 Composite: 27 Not bad! You got your math score up to a 25, which is just about the 80th percentile, and got a composite of 27, which is in the 87th. But what would have happened if you had spent some time on English and Reading and less time on math? Getting just five more raw points on both the English and Reading sections could have a huge boost to your score. If those are personal strengths, picking up five points should be easy with some smart studying. So let’s say you spend some time on English and Reading and earn five more raw points on each section, and less time on math: English: 33 Reading: 32 Math: 23 Science: 26 Composite: 29 So even if you got a lower score on math, the time spent studying on English and Reading could net you two higher section scores as opposed to just one, resulting in a higher composite. #3: Develop Target Raw Scores Using the ACT’s raw score to scaled score estimates, you can develop target raw scores for each section. This makes studying easier – thinking in terms of raw points is simpler when you are working through practice problems. For example, say you want to break a scaled score of 26 in each section. Looking at the raw-to-scaled-score table, you should aim for at least the following raw scores: English: 60/75 Reading: 31/40 Math: 43/60 Science: 30/40 Now this suggests a strategy - skipping questions. For example, if you're aiming for a raw score of 43 in Math, you can actually completely skip the last ten hardest questions (by bubbling in a random answer) and attempt 50 questions. This gives you more time per question, increasing the chance you will get more of them correct. Plus, even if you still miss seven of them, you'll get your raw score of 43! #4: Guess on Every Single Question - Leave No Bubble Unbubbled Since there is no guessing penalty on the ACT, the best way to maximize your score is to eliminate wrong answer choices and guess. We are not saying to rush through each section in order to answer every single question – as we saw above, you might have a target raw score that’s much lower than the total points possible. In that case, it makes sense to spend more time focusing on fewer questions. What this means is that if you do spend time on a question, even if you are not totally sure of the answer, it’s the best use of your time to eliminate some answer choices to give yourself the best shot at guessing the right answer. Furthermore, when the proctor says there is one minute remaining, go ahead and bubble every blank answer you have remaining. Even if you haven't looked at the question in the book, you aren't losing anything by guessing. You might pick up a raw point or two on each section this way, which can have a surprising effect on your scaled score, as we have seen. Try not to leave any blanks! #5: Understand How the Essay Affects Your Score If you take the ACT with Writing, you'll receive a composite plus your essay score. However, this doesn’t mean the essay should become the biggest priority on your study plan. Your subject area scores and composite score are the most important aspects of the ACT, so you should prioritize studying for the multiple-choice sections. For most colleges, your essay score is the least important part of your ACT score. This means that a low essay score may not have much of a negative impact on your applications if your composite ACT score is high. Don't blow the essay off if you're taking it, but you should prioritize studying for the other sections of the ACT. What's Next? Now that you know how the ACT is scored, get started with actually improving your ACT score. What's a good ACT score for college?Check out our step-by-step guide to figure out your target score. Deciding between the ACT and SAT?Read our detailed guide on which is easier. Are youwondering when you should sign up to take the ACT for the first time? This guide describes the most important considerations to help you choose the best test date for you. Want to improve your ACT score by 4+ points? Download our free guide to the top 5 strategies you need in your prep to improve your ACT score dramatically.

7 Best Books for a Literature Response Paper

7 Best Books for a Literature Response Paper 7 Best Books for a Literature Response Paper A literary response paper is designed to give your opinion on how a literary piece makes you feel or think. It is your opinion; however, it needs to be based on the facts. You will need to make sure that you really have some considerations about what you are writing. In order to master this essay style, you will need to choose a really good literary piece to produce a decent paper. If you get to choose the topic, which most of the time you do, then you should check out one of these books: Jonathan Franzen’s â€Å"Freedom† This story is about a love triangle between college mates. It is a great choice for a literary response paper because you can make an argument about whether the love is more important than the friendship. Which one is more significant to you and which one is more important for the book characters? F. Scott Fitzgerald’s â€Å"This Side of Paradise† This one actually works perfect for a college literary response essay. It is about a Princeton student who is very privileged. Upon his graduation, he starts to get a look for what life is really about. He has lived a sheltered life and now he has to start taking care of himself. How is the real world going to be different from the sheltered life? What happens when he finally has to start taking responsibility for his journey and his decisions? Fydor Dostoyevsky’s â€Å"Crime and Punishment† Even if you don’t choose this piece to write on, don’t miss the chance to read it. It is a well-known novel about a man who kills a pawnbroker and then works really hard to justify what he did. It is a beautiful book with so much to write about in a literary response essay. It will challenge your views on your place in society and on the laws and morality. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s â€Å"The Great Gatsby† However, this may be a tad overused, we couldn’t choose the best seven books without including this one. You could write about a million of literary response essays on this novel without batting an eye. One of the strongest ideas is how Gatsby goes above and beyond building his entire life and persona for Daisy, who doesn’t seem to notice nor really care. He will never get back all of the time he wasted trying to become the person that he thought Daisy would want. We can never get back the past and life is destined to change over time. Embrace the change and learn to love it as much as you loved the things that have happened in the past. It is a brilliant read and a perfect piece for this type of paper. John Milton’s â€Å"Paradise Lost† When you are looking for a little entertainment when creating your paper, this is the ideal pick. There are many topics to discuss. Lucifer, an angel who is arrogant and fell from grace, tempted Adam and Eve into sin. Everyone knows this sequence of events. John Milton lets you take a look at Lucifer’s side of the story. There are so many issues that you can use for your argument. William Golding’s ‘Lord of the Flies† We couldn’t forget this novel. It is about a group of boys who are stuck on an uninhabited island. They have no supervision and create a small, yet divided community. The book captures the essence of being a good leader. This is one of the major themes and you can use this book to discuss whether or not leadership is important. Harper Lee’s â€Å"To Kill a Mockingbird† This book is about a girl who grows up learning much about life and the unkindness that comes to the weak, the young, and even to those with different color of skin. As she gets older she learns that these really don’t have anything to do with the type of person that you are. She learns that it is a man’s soul that really matters. Imagine all of the possible topics that you can discuss within this story. These seven books are perfect for this assignment. They are full of controversial thoughts that you can use to write a solid paper on. Plus, we are sure you will enjoy the reads as well.

International Business (MaArketing ORHuman Resource Management) Research Paper

International Business (MaArketing ORHuman Resource Management) strategy of an International Firm - Research Paper Example The modern environment of the business world differentiates the business organizations of the world into the globetrotters and the globe watchers. The globetrotters are the most successful of the organizations where the essence is to target the different markets of the world. The globe watchers on the other hand look to take the advantages of the multinational companies in the production and the marketing process. The development of the globetrotters or the multinational companies depends on the efficiency of the marketing department of the organization to a large extent. The marketing in the other countries depend on the evaluation of the country. The market of the country and its customers are to be analyzed. The analysis of the economic conditions of the country will help in the growth of the company. The marketing department of the globetrotting companies has to evaluate the conditions to be able to exert them in these countries. (Cavusgil, December, 1991). The successful multina tional companies of the world have followed this model in its growth path. The paper will look into the marketing strategies of a well known international company to understand the situation. Coca Cola will be good example in the case of the study. Coca Cola was born in 1886 in Georgia. Dr. John Pemberton is credited with the invention of the drink. However, he was not aware of the potential of the drink and eventually sold it off to Asa Candler. It was under the reign of Candler that Coca Cola achieved iconic status. He was instrumental in the marketing and the advertising of the product. This was done with the help of merchandising of various products. Another important development during his reign was the bottling of the drink. The international expansion of the drink started under Ernest Woodruff and the bottling of the drink soon began in the other parts of the world. In Europe the drink was first bottled in France. Coca Cola became even more

Summary of book Call of The Wild Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Summary of book Call of The Wild - Essay Example In chapter four, Buck takes the pack’s leadership and he demonstrates his capability by making the pack travel faster than the previous leader had done. This is seen when he makes the pack travel from Dawson to Skaguay in one day instead of the ten days they had taken previously. The pack is sold to a Scotsman after Perrault and Francois receives official orders directing them to transfer elsewhere. They travel back to Dawson and one of the dogs dies from fatigue and illness (London 36). In chapter five, the dogs are sold to new masters, Hal and Charles who travel with Charles’ wife Mercedes. The inexperience of the pack’s new masters makes them starve and carry heavier loads than the ones it carried before. The pack reaches John Thornton’s camp and Thornton frees it from Hal’s mastership (London 46). In chapter six, Buck becomes friends with Thornton, defends him from his foes, and helps him win a bet (London 55). In chapter seven, Buck and Thornton travels east to find a lost gold mine. It is here that Buck first enters the woods after feeling wild yearnings. He wanders in the wilderness with wolves and one day, he come back to his master’s camp to finds it attacked by Yeehat Indians. He attacks the assailants, killing some and dispersing the rest. The book closes with Buck going into the woods and joining the wolves in wandering the wilderness (London

CSR For Nestle And MTN

CSR For Nestle And MTN Nestle (a high-income company) and MTN (a low-income company) have different approaches regarding CSR. This report will describe and evaluate those approaches. Introduction This is a brief description of each company highlighting some facts concerning their development. Section one Identifies the different types of stakeholders that the company should consider while mapping its local/global activities. Using the Stakeholder Saliency Model, allocates those stakeholders for both companies, taking into account two things: who has the most/least power in steering the companys decisions and whether or not this stakeholder is interested in CSR initiatives. Two differences have been identified: Nestle: firstly, host governments in developing countries are Dangerous Stakeholders and do not show much interest in CSR; secondly, social organizations, NGOs and the media are Dangerous Stakeholders and in favour of CSR. MTN: firstly, host governments in developing countries are Dominant and show interest in CSR; secondly, social organizations such as NGOs and the media are Demanding and in favour of CSR. The reasons behind this include: Host government in developing countries: corrupt government may find the high-income corporation (Nestle) an enticing opportunity to seize unlike MTN. Moreover, MTN which originated in a developing country, has a great deal of experience with such governments. Social Organization: MTN does not have a negative direct impact on peoples lives, unlike Nestle. Also MTN is not recognized globally while Nestle is since MTN operates only in developing countries while Nestle operates globally. Section two In this section the report answers the following: whether CSR initiatives adopted by both companies increased/decreased over time, and also who was behind the changes and why they occurred. It was found that both companies have increased their CSR initiatives especially in the globalization era for Nestle, and particularly since the 1970s as many social organizations emerged and FDI occurred in that period. Section three The report shows how authors classify the stakeholders perspective in different ways: some classify them according to the local economic situation; others in a developing countrys context; others classify the social and environmental issues depending on regions. A Ponte et al typology using four approaches (engaged/disengaged, proximate/distant) is applied to the above classifications. An analysis was made with the following results: There are many perspectives which support CSR initiatives and argue that those initiatives are good for business, especially the engaged approaches, and they support their argument with evidence. They are also good for society whether the approaches are engaged or disengaged. At the other end of the spectrum, there are many who do not agree with the benefits brought by CSR initiatives and believe it is bad for business and useless for society. II. Introduction The purpose of this report is to analyse, compare and contrast the socially responsible approach of two multinational companies (Nestle and MTN). This will be approached in the following order: firstly, a brief description for each company will be provided; secondly, the report will allocate the stakeholders using the stakeholder saliency model for each company showing the similarities and differences. This will be followed by a brief description regarding the changes of CSR approach for both companies and the reasons for these changes. The third section includes a critical analysis of both approaches using Ponte et al typology and two contrasting viewpoints. Finally, a conclusion sums up the findings showing the future of CSR for both companies. III. Brief History with some facts regarding CSR, Nestle  [1]  , It was in the 1860s when a pharmacist Henri Nestle developed a food formula for those infants who experienced problems in breastfeeding. This welcome innovation from Nestle is now sold all over the world (Nestle History, 2009). Some facts about the company include: 1905-to date: Healthy growth in general with some periods of struggle with a lot of mergers and acquisitions, one of the most important being with Movenpick Ice Cream. 1970s-1980s: Heavy attacks from social organizations and individuals for the unethical marketing activities encouraging mothers in the developing world to use its products instead of breastfeeding. (Douglas,1986) 1998 Nestlà © Corporate Business Principles was produced and updated to include the principles of the UN Secretary Generals Global Compact: Labour Standard, Human rights, the Environment (Nestle report, 2001) Creating the Shared Value scheme for a healthier world in the 21st century. (CSV mission, 2009) MTN Group  [2]  , Founded in 1994, MTN Group is a telecommunication company; it services in 21 countries across Africa and the Middle East. (MTN Report 1 and 2, 2009). 2007: MTN was the best tax payer for the year ending 2005/2006 in many African countries.(MTN History, 2007) 2007: Established the Corporate Social Responsibility Foundation. .(MTN History, 2007) 2009: According to management consulting firm Oliver Waymans annual State of the Industry report, MTN achieved the fourth place among the top 60 global performers in terms of its shareholder performance index (SPI) at the end of 2008 with total revenue of 102,526 million rand  [3]  , (MTN Report 1and 2, 2009 ). IV. Section one: Corporate social responsibility: CSR is the commitment by the company to behave ethically with its stakeholders and to fulfil all obligations of minimizing any harm and maximizing the benefits for society, humanity and the environment and that includes commitments by companies to contribute to social development and enhance the standard of peoples lives  [4]  . Stake holder Identification: According to many authors Mercier (1999), Freeman (1984), Donaldson and Preston (1995), stakeholders are usually all those groups or individuals that may affect or be affected by the organizations daily working process, and also include all those who could have shares or interests in the same organization (Cited in Perqueux, 2004.P:6). From the definition given above it could be interpreted that organizations should classify their stakeholders interests and power in a way that brings satisfaction because they will be assessed and evaluated by them in the future, and that what Rossouw and Sison (2006, p41) argued for when they described the corporations as a nation state is that they must be honest with its citizens otherwise they will be overthrown. From the two definitions mentioned above and by using the Stakeholder Saliency Model, this report will now show two things at the same time. The first is to show who stakeholder has the most or least effect in mapping the business activities, and second to what extent this allocated stakeholder is CSR driver for both companies showing the similarities and differences. An explanation for these will be provided. Nestle Power Discretionary Stakeholder: other inter-national institutions e.g. IMF, World Bank Dominant Stakeholder. Dangerous Stakeholder: Governments in developing countries, social organizations, NGOs, media. Demanding Stakeholder: people Definitive Stakeholder: Main Shareholders Dormant Stakeholder: Shareholders (Minority interest) Depending Stakeholder Legitimacy Urgency MTN Power Discretionary Stakeholder: other Inter-national Institutions such as IMF, World Bank Dominant Stakeholder: Government in developing countries Dormant Stakeholder: Shareholders (Minority interest) Demanding Stakeholder: Social organizations, NGOs, media. Dangerous Stakeholder Definitive Stakeholder: Main Shareholders Depending Stakeholder Legitimacy Urgency . The main similarities: Main Shareholders (Definitive Stakeholders with fake CSR ): As they supply the organization with the funds needed to build up capital, thus they have the right to vote, control and change the corporate structure if required, Mantyssari (2005), and that would have a substantial influence in mapping the companys business activities and other activities related to CSR. The following example shows how Nestles first priority is its shareholders and how Nestle manipulates the CSR approach. This happened when it announced the intention to transform Nestle into the worlds leading wellness organization to promote healthy eating by people through providing functional food instead of its ordinary range, spending SFr 2 billion on research and development in 2008. However, many experts point out that there is no substantial evidence that eating functional food makes people healthier. Lausanne and Vevey (The Economist, 2009. p39-95) indicate also to the reasons behind that by showing that in America the growth of functional foods between 2002-2007 was 15.8% a year while ordinary foods was only 2.9% suggesting profit was the main driver nothing else. The same is applicable in MTN regarding definitive shareholders, especially when looking closely at their annual report (2008 p172), showing the percentage of share capital, equal to 25%, was owned only by 8 shareholders, so this group of 8 has the majority portion of power to direct the company activities in the way they prefer, which is making profits. Minority interest Shareholders (Dormant Stakeholders with no effects on CSR): they do not have the enough power to steer the company in the responsible direction nether on its policy IMF, World Bank, WTO (Discretionary Stakeholders with a neutral position regarding CSR): through their regulation and requirements and conditionality they open new routes for investing. However, that does not oblige the MNCs to invest nor to participate in social responsibility initiatives. The main differences: Host governments in developing countries are Dangerous Stakeholders and do not show too much interest in CSR for Nestle, while they are Dominant and show interest in CSR for MTN) Jones (2005, p:9) pointed out that host governments use a lot of subsidies to attract foreign organizations, such as low custom tariffs or free capital movement in order to overcome difficulties (poverty, diseases, deathà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) Applying this to the selected companies: Nestle: this type of stakeholder should be allocated under Dangerous for many reasons. Nestle lacks experience in dealing with developing governments policies. Another reason is that kleptocratic government may find the high-income corporation (Nestle) an enticing opportunity to seize. For example: the BBC announced in December 2002 that Nestle was trying to persuade the Ethiopian government to pay USD 6 million instead of 1.5 million as compensation for nationalizing one of its subsidiaries in Ethiopia. This example shows how the Ethiopian government took possession of Nestlà ©s subsidiary without any previous notice or consultation. MTN: originally from SA, and all of its investments are located in Africa and the ME (developing countries). It has a great deal of experience with such governments so do not need to put it under Dangerous stakeholders unlike Nestle. But even though MTN has put governments under the Dominant category MTN has to comply with the King codes in South Africa  [5]  which include very strict rules regarding CSR initiatives in order be listed in JSE securities exchange and to be accepted by the government and society. (Institute of Directors in South Africa, 2009) Social organizations, NGOs, Media are Dangerous Stakeholders and in favour of CSR for Nestle, while Demanding and in favour of CSR for MTN: Nestle: Because of the nature of the business of Nestle (covering world-wide and working in the field of nutrition), it may be found that a lot of social organizations along with the media always attack it aggressively, especially if they discover the unethical approach of its social responsibility, pushing it to make more and more effort in the field of CSR. For example: the General Synod of the Church of England called for a ban on Nestle and asked Church commissioners to disinvest their GBP 1.1 million in it. Moreover in 1974 the British charity War on Want released a leaflet The Baby Killer criticising Nestle for the bad effects of its marketing strategies in Africa. (Kotler et al. 2009) MTN: However, there are many examples showing MTN has a good reputation among those organizations who praise its efforts to serve the people and bring prosperity to society. For example, South Africa media (South Africa info, 2008) praised MTN when it declared its intention, along with other operators, to establish a fibre network across the Sub Saharan centres in an effort to meet the soaring needs of their subscribers and connect the African continent with the rest of the world. The reason for this approval is because MTN does not have a negative direct impact on peoples lives, unlike Nestle. Also MTN is not recognized globally as Nestle is since it operates only in developing countries. V. Section two: This report will now answer the following question which way is the CSR changing and what are the main causes for this? In 1869 Henri Nestle said: During the first few months, the mothers milk will always be the most natural nutriment, put promoted Nestle products as a substitute. However, in 2007 Nestle stated that Nothing is a substitute for or equivalent or superior to breast milk Kotler et al. (2009). These two statements raise two questions: the first one is Did Nestle admit the guiltiness about its previous promotion?; secondly, If yes, then who was behind it? Actually to answer these questions, we have to consider that through Nestle growth, a lot of pressure and outside forces have pushed the company to change its attitude towards satisfying its stakeholders and make responsible efforts rather than only profit. Blowfield and Murray (2008, p:41-66) claim that the relationship between business and society changed through three eras: the industrial revolution, the mid-twentieth-century welfare state and globalization. Furthermore, through these eras there was a shift in corporate social responsibility, from a theoretical concerned with normative behaviour of the organization, to CSR as management practice, especially in the 1970s. Ackerman and Bauers (1976 cited in Blowfield et al, 2008) argue also that what a company can do to respond to social expectation rather than theoretical ideas of what it should do is what matters. This is reflected in public confidence over the years (see Appendix 1) which suggests public confidence began to incre ase in the late 1970s with a slight decrease in 1991. (Source: Frederick 2006) In relation to the two companies in this study, it may be that Nestle actually took into consideration social responsibility after the harsh boycott in the 1970s when it learnt a lot from that lesson and started to increase its commitment to society and allocated social organizations and media as dangerous stakeholders. MTN is a relatively new company established only in the 1990s, which could be viewed as the globalization era so has a high standard of CSR knowledge (King I, II, III code). Thus, it could be concluded that there was an increase in CSR initiatives owing to greater awareness among stakeholders, especially over the last three decades, and that increase was related directly to globalization and its characteristics such as free trade, rises in FDI in developing countries, soaring demands of the media and the NGOs. VI. Section Three: This section will be divided into three parts: Analysis of the different stakeholders perspective approaches, Depending on the outcome of the first part, the report will use Ponte et al typology to allocate the approach of both companies. A further analysis of these approaches will be conducted using two contrasting viewpoints. Many authors classify the stakeholders perspective in different ways. Some classify them according to the local economic situation such as Cannon (1994) by giving five types of societies which need different reactions from the business to help the economy out of the crisis: the high-stress environment (suffering from long time economic downturn), structurally disadvantaged areas (business in remote areas), the crisis zone, the transitional zone (change of the importance of industry in same area), and the powerhouse industry that used to drive the main local growth and now facing high competition from others. Other authors such as Hamann et al (2005) explore the stakeholders perspective in a developing countrys context when they pointed out some realities to be considered in achieving a successful CSR in South Africa: first, a long history of poverty and inequality: second, the need for effective CSR to destroy the bad image of exploitation and racism created by companies over a long period in those countries; third, the suppression of black economic empowerment which mostly comes from corruption: fourth, the need to enhance social aspects such as human rights and democracy. Others classify the social and environmental issues depending on the regions, showing the different CSR requirements among countries and they emphasise that each region needs its own CSR initiatives. For example, the USA needs to address renewed calls for nuclear power and to deal with air pollution, while some African countries need more concentration in improving the infrastructure and solving the conflicts between tribes and governments (PWC, 2006; Ethical Corporation, 2006 cited in Blowfield Murray,2008) (see appendix 2 for more details). Using the above mentioned methods, now Ponte et al typology can be used to allocate initiative approaches used by Nestle and MTN: Company Engaged CSR activities the factory and farmer scheme in China which has direct impact on company operations since it eliminates the suppliers and at the same time gives the farmers technical support. (Nestle China, 2009) Disengaged CSR initiatives: Nestle Nigeria along with the Red Cross started an initiative, an educational programme in 2003 to increase the awareness of HIV among people in Nigeria (Nestle Nigeria, 2009) Distant CSR activities the factory and farmer example in China, because the farmers are not one of Nestlà ©s workforces they are a separate entity and might be paid low prices for their milk supply. (Nestle China, 2009) Proximate CSR activities: Nestle creates job opportunities. It has now more than 265,000 employees worldwide from 100 different countries. (Nestle, 2009) Engaged and Proximate: the EcoShape bottle produced by Nestle North America in 2007. This example could be regarded as an engaged activity since it reduces the bad effects on the environment (will reduce the CO2 emission by 356,000 tons within three years) and at the same time it is proximate because it is closely related to the company operations (since it impacts on the environment in the same location as its operations). (Nestle America, 2009) -Engaged CSR activities: the Environmental Management System is one of MTNs policies to reduce the production waste by recycling and encouraging the employees to act socially responsible. (MTN Environmental Policy, 2009) Disengaged CSR initiatives: Arts and Aids awareness educational program for communities, conducted by the MTN foundation and regarded as a totally disengaged scheme carried out by MTN. (MTN SA foundation, 2009) Distant CSR activities: No distant CSR initiatives found. -Proximate CSR activities: the Arts and Aids awareness educational program could be regarded as a proximate CSR scheme since MTN originally operated in Africa and the Middle East. (MTN SA foundation, 2009) Engaged and Proximate: the 21 days of Yello care started in 2007. This scheme of 21 days gives the opportunity for MTNs employees to directly engage with the CSR initiatives programme with a prize as a reward at the end of this scheme for the best team. One team was rewarded for building a small pedestrian bridge. (MTN Yello, 2009) Now, the report will analyse the Ponte et al typology mentioned above showing two contrasting viewpoints: In favour of CSR: Good for business when (Engaged whether Proximate or Distant): Porter and Kramer (2006, p:83) indicate that working in a healthy society will keep the company healthy (health care for the workforce) and also supply it with a competitive advantage (efficient use of resources: water, land) and all of these will be achieved by Integrating Business and Society through CSR activities. Other authors praise the role of CSR in marketing and this could be applied in bringing a bright image to the company and to some extent increase its sales Hardeep and Sharma (2006). For example, Ogrizek (2002) said: There are clear and concrete market-driven benefits and competitive advantages for companies, which integrate their business policies with CSR. In respect of the two companies in question there are a lot of initiative approaches for both companies from their websites which all could be regarded as marketing tools and green sheen attempts (the new brand of Nestle: Nescafe Green blend). Good for society when (Engaged whether Proximate or Distant): advocators of this model argue that governments in the developing countries on their own cannot meet the increasing demands of the society and development requirements and this is actually what Samuel et al (2009.p394) found when they conducted research in Nigeria showing how CSR initiatives being carried out by 22 organizations complement government efforts to build up a stable economy. Furthermore, this perspective is also supported by the neo-liberalism theory in which many authors stress that only business and free markets can sustain the individual rights, society and the environment (Burchell, 1996, Barry et al 1996, Peter and Olssen 2002 cited in Zajda, 2009 p:15). No one could deny that Nestle creates job opportunities for 265,000 employees worldwide from 100 different countries and also that MTN donated about 1.5 Rand million to buy clothes with the help of the Red Cross in South Africa in response to attacks by f oreign nationals in 2008 (MTN SA foundation, 2009). At the economy level, The Economist (1999) emphasized the contribution of MTN as a mobile company in bringing the poor and isolated into the global economy. Opposed to CSR: Bad for business when (Disengaged): advocators for this approach are usually those who argue in favour of shareholder interests and indicate that the main objective of any company is only to maximize the shareholders value and minimize any kind of expense. That becomes very clear when Lawrence (1999) describes how the company should create a value management system in five steps in order to achieve the shareholder value, neglecting any component related to non-profit activities because it just an expense. Also, as mentioned earlier in this report, Mantyssari (2005) describes the shareholders as the heart of the business who supply it with the funds needed for the daily operations, so managers have to keep them satisfied by a high level of yield. Furthermore, some say that CSR is not only waste of money but also it distracts the managers from focusing on their real duties since effective CSR, which is not only a charity cheque, needs special talent and efforts, and that is also emphasized by Porter and Kramer (2006, p:91) when they argue that organizational adjustment that matches good CSR initiatives is what matters more than kind intentions. Useless for society and development (Criticizing all Ponte et al approaches): many protestors criticise the effects caused by MNCs activities all over the world since their negative effects outweigh their CSR initiatives. They think whatever the companies do for the societies is only a green sheen. For instance, Nestle is proud of itself, saying it always provides work opportunities for people, indicated that 97% of their workforces are distributed all over the world The Economist (1997.p153). However, for Corpwatch (2005) the truth is it exploits the workers in an awful manner and Corpwatch complained that 286,000 children work as slaves in the Ivory Coasts cocoa farms (90 hours a week with very low wages) and point out that Nestle is the third largest importer of cocoa from the Ivory Coast. Also it could be argued from bad for business angle as there is general agreement that if CSR is not focused and organized it will often come to nothing or may sometimes have harmful results. VII. Conclusion: From this report, a lot of findings can be drawn by analysing the corporate social responsibility approaches for Nestle and MTN. This report started by showing the importance of the different types of stakeholders that try to steer the companys activities in the way they desire, whether in a business or CSR approach. Using the Stakeholders Saliency Model these stakeholders have been allocated and two major differences were found. The first one is, Governments in developing countries where Nestle operate should be put under Dangerous stakeholder since they lack experience in dealing with such governments and the high-income corporation could also be seen an enticing opportunity to be seized. However, MTN (a low-income company) is the opposite case since it originated in such an environment. The other main difference between them is the danger of social organizations for Nestle such as NGOs and the media since it works globally and works in the field of nutrition, hiring people from po or countries, so may be targeted by such institutions. In contrast, MTN does not have a direct impact on peoples lives and is not recognized globally like Nestle since it operates only in developing countries. The report then analysed and evaluated the CSR approaches for both companies using Ponte et al typology to allocate them in four dimensions, engaged/disengaged, distant/proximate. It was found Nestle and MTN use all of them except for MTN which did not use distant CSR initiatives. The report attempted to answer the question which stakeholders were satisfied and which were not, no matter what type of approach was adopted, by contrasting two points of view (with and against CSR) and arguing them in four different aspects. Through the analysis of the aspect Useless for society, it was found some organizations and institutions are still not satisfied by the CSR initiatives and need deeper indicators, going beyond the basics and taking into account the real influences on the surroundings. Regarding the future of CSR, some authors such as Murray and Blowfield (2008, p:365-369) emphasised that the context analysis such as the mega trends (climate change, demographic change, poverty) will be no less important than simply examining the CSR approaches taken by the company.

Argumentative Essay Abortion Essay

Our world today is full of unsolved and controversial issues. Most of them relate to our morals, ethics and religion, thus creating a very strong yes and no, or good and bad side. Abortion has a very outstanding black and white side but also contains traces of each in the alternating colour. This shows that if you were to come to any kind of conclusion on abortion, there would still be a downside to it, and that is primarily why the world cannot agree on this sensitive and emotional issue. An abortion is when the pregnancy is ended so that it does not result in the birth of a child. It allows women to put an end to their pregnancies, but involves killing the undeveloped embryo or fetus. For this reason, it is a very controversial subject. Being pregnant and wishing you weren’t is probably the worst feeling a woman can have. Knowing that if you brought a child into the world and you didn’t want it, or you would have to give it up for adoption is such a disheartening way to start off, and you and the un-born child would be so much better off if you were to terminate the pregnancy and wait for a more appropriate time, or in the case of rape, put the past behind you and move on. When we hear of women having abortions, we seem to automatically think that she wasn’t careful enough, or she didn’t use contraception. We forget to stop and think about the other possible reasons, she may have accidentally become pregnant. Just forgetting to take one pill per packet can reduce it’s effectiveness. Condoms can tear or be forgotten, and emergency contraceptives like the morning after pill are not easily obtainable. 50% of women getting an abortion in Britain used some form of contraception when they got pregnant. This obviously shows that women are having huge problems with using contraception, and something needs to be done about it. This also means that we can’t judge people immediately. Women are still getting pregnant even though they use contraceptives. I think that women have the right to get an abortion if they tried to prevent the pregnacy. My thesis is: Abortion should be legalized. Arguments: 1. Personhood begins at birth, not at fertilization,. 2. Fetuses are incapable of feeling pain when an abortion is performed. 3. An association between abortion and breast cancer is unsubstantiated. Counter arguments: 1. Abortion involves killing a human being 2. Fetuses feel pain during the abortion procedure 3. Abortion increases the likelihood that women will develop breast cancer Refutation of the counter argument: 1. A lot of people have the counter argument â€Å"abortion is murder†. That’s not true, abortion is the termination of a pregnancy, not a baby. Personhood at fertilization, is not a proven biological fact. To think that personhood starts at fertilization is a religious belief, nor a provable fact. 2. According to Stuart W. G. Derbyshire, PhD, Senior Lecturer at the University of Birmingham (England), â€Å"not only has the biological development not yet occurred to support pain experience, but the environment after birth, so necessary to the development of pain experience, is also yet to occur.† 3. The National Cancer Institute, the American Cancer Society, and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists have all refuted the reliability of studies claiming abortion can lead to a higher probability of developing breast cancer. 1. Stuart W. G. Derbyshire, PhD, â€Å"Can Fetuses Feel Pain?,† British Medical Journal, Apr. 29, 2006 2. Planned Parenthood of New Jersey, â€Å"Anti-choice Claims About Abortion and Breast Cancer,† Sources used in this report: http://www.bmj.com/content/332/7546/909 http://www.debate.org/abortion-debate/ http://www.patheos.com/blogs/rogereolson/2013/07/questions-about-both-sides-of-the-abortion-debate/ http://www.rfsu.se/Sex-och-politik/Fokus-SRHR/Ratten-till-abort/ www.plannedparenthoodnj.org

The Different Meanings and Uses of Economic Efficiency

Generally speaking, economic efficiency refers to a market outcome that is optimal for society. Â  In the context of welfare economics, an outcome that is economically efficient is one that maximizes the size of the economic value pie that a market creates for society. Â  In an economically efficient market outcome, there are no available Pareto improvements to be made, and the outcome satisfies what is known as the Kaldor-Hicks criterion. More specifically, economic efficiency is a term typically used in microeconomics when discussing production. Production of a unit of goods is considered to be economically efficient when that unit of goods is produced at the lowest possible cost. Economics by Parkin and Bade give a useful introduction to the difference between economic efficiency and technological efficiency: There are two concepts of efficiency: Technological efficiency occurs when it is not possible to increase output without increasing inputs. Economic efficiency occurs when the cost of producing a given output is as low as possible.Technological efficiency is an engineering matter. Given what is technologically feasible, something can or cannot be done. Economic efficiency depends on the prices of the factors of production. Something that is technologically efficient may not be economically efficient. But something that is economically efficient is always technologically efficient. A key point to understand is the idea that economic efficiency occurs when the cost of producing a given output is as low as possible. Theres a hidden assumption here, and that is the assumption that all else being equal. A change that lowers the quality of the good while at the same time lowers the cost of production does not increase economic efficiency. The concept of economic efficiency is only relevant when the quality of goods being produced is unchanged.